Plasma lipid profi ling in a large population-based cohort

We have performed plasma lipid profi ling using liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry on a population cohort of more than 1,000 individuals. From 10 l of plasma we were able to acquire comparative measures of 312 lipids across 23 lipid classes and subclasses including sphingolipids, phospholipids, glyc- erolipids, and cholesterol esters (CEs) in 20 min. Using linear and logistic regression, we identifi ed statistically sig- nifi cant associations of lipid classes, subclasses, and indi- vidual lipid species with anthropometric and physiological measures. In addition to the expected associations of CEs and triacylglycerol with age, sex, and body mass index (BMI), ceramide was signifi cantly higher in males and was independently associated with age and BMI. Associations were also observed for sphingomyelin with age but this lipid subclass was lower in males. Lysophospholipids were associ- ated with age and higher in males, but showed a strong nega- tive association with BMI. Many of these lipids have previously been associated with chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease and may mediate the interactions of age, sex, and obesity with disease risk. —Weir, J. M., G. Wong, C. K. Barlow, M. A. Greeve, A. Kowalczyk, L. Almasy, A. G. Comuzzie, M. C. Mahaney, J. B. M. Jowett, J. Shaw, J. E. Curran, J. Blangero, and P. J. Meikle. Plasma lipid profi ling in a large population-based cohort. J. Lipid Res. 2013. 54: 2898-2908.